The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-08-27
VICE-PRESIDENT HENDRICKS.
Chat with His Widow on His Habits-Her
Home and Her Opinion of Her Husband.


I called recently upon Mrs Thomas A. Hen
bricks, and had long chat with her about her
self and her husband She still lives in the
roomy, square, old-fashioned residence which
she and Hendricks occupied SO long together. 1t
is two-story brick just opposite the magnih-
cent So, 600, QUO State-house which Indiana has
about completed. The house is a corner one,
and il has wide smooth-cut lawn at the front
and side. Its parlor windows are long, and they
look out upon the street. wide front door
leads you into roomy hall, in which rocking
chairs stand, and through which cool breeze
always blows. At the right of this there is q
parlor. and both this and the sitting room. which
adjoins it, have been improved with new man
tells and CRATES since Governor Hendricks died.
Mrs. Hendricks tells me this the idea OF
her husband, and that she has carried it out
The parlor mantei has fireplace, and the fine
brass andirons. with their posts representing
rearing dragons and the brass fender and fire set
those which used to stand in the Vlce-presi-
dents the Capitol, and which the United
States Senate gave to Mrs. Hendricks upon Mr.
Hendricks's death Mrs. Hendricks has adapted
the Sc TO the use of natural gas, and they will be
connected with the gas mains the
pipes are put into indianapolis.
AT the right of this fireplace, easel
stands large oil portrait of Vce-president
Hendricks. It is about three feet square, and
a splendid likeness. 1T has. Mrs. Hendricks
told me, the best expression of her husband. 1t
is by Mrs. Ingraham. of Indianapolis and it
will probably eventually find its way to Wash
ington.
Mrs Hendricks greeted me very cordially.
She dressed in deep mourning. She wore a
short black dress, a black polka dot handker-
chief about her throat. and there were diamonds
in her She is still good looking woman,
and is apparently somewhere between forty and
fifty years of age. She has small. well-formed
face. and fresh blue eyes, tn. sparkle of which
shines through her black trimmed spectacles as
she talks Her hair is still dark. and she has
the vivacity of girl. She talks very freely and
is not ayerse to chatting about her husband.
She was very fond of him, it is said. and since
his death she does not 60 into society. While
was present she sent regrets in response to
invitation to dine. and she did so she said: 81
hardly think 1t is honest for me to send regrets
in such I do not regret going and I
want to stay at home Still it is all right, as
certainly regret the circumstance which makes
it necessary to refuse"
l here told Mrs Hendricks that understood
that she going to write a biography of her
husband She replied:
THAT is mistake. I do not intend to write
one, though l have Mr.. Hendricks papers aud
hope to have them edited some day. l have had
many applications from people who wish to pub
lish extracts from these papers or to found
sketches upon them. have refused them be-
and because l think when the work is published
it should be worthy one and full of new mat
ter Mr. Hendricks was the leader of mis- party.
He lived great deal of history and the world
has yet to know him as he really was"
''Of what do the papers consst2"
''They cover the whole period of his life. They
contain all his speeches, things said for and
against him, scrap books and other material,
filling IN all six or seven store boxes. They
were methodically arranged, but am now going
over the and reclassifying them for future use
1t is a big Job, And though / knew a great deal
about Governor HendrcEss business. find it
a hard one, and it will take some time to finish
it."
care there many personal letters among
these papers, and is there much unwritten his
tory contained in them?" 1 asked. Il suppose
some of the letters may compromise some OF the
men now liying!'
s'No" said Mrs. Hendricks. emphatically At
think not Mr.. Hendricks destroyed everything
of that nature. He did not think 1t right to
keep such letters and 20 one appreciated better
than he how letters might read after the cir
cumstances under which they were written had
changed have received letters from many
persons who had feared that such was not the
case. and have found il hard to convince them
that their letters have been destroyed. A Now
York politician. who has been making record
of and gathering together his correspondence
written at the time of the Tiiden campaign,
positive that his letters must have been kept.
went over five boxes of papers and failed to
find them. MIR. Hendricks was cautious man
in such things He did not like to write letters.
and never did so when he could have personal
interview. He did not care for himself, but he
was afraid that in some way his party or his
friends might be injured"
Ibid he ever write autobiography or plan
to do soq'
mo, think not He was interested in his
tory of the Indiana constitutional convention,
which was being prepared before his death. and
he wrote out some notes of his life for this and
gave them Mr.. w. III. English There a
biography written shortly after his death. and
the authors called upon me for the facts, but my
mi nd disturbed at the time that my mem
ory seemed to fail me- in my trouble, and l could
not do Justice to them"
You say you think the country does not
rightly understand Governor Hendricks"
Yes. He was entirely different character
from what people suppose him to have been.
He was not politician in the ordinary sense of
the word He did not love politics for his own
He went into il because he
thought he could do good and could better his
party and his country. This was his only aim.
He was one of the most unse1fsh of men, and
during the last cam aign when he, leader of
the party, did much work he was perfectly
satisfied with taking the second place the
presidential ticket.
ssNot even to me did he ever say anything
to this view. He went into the cam
oaign with all his might and left his business
and correspondence for me to care for. He was |
wrapped up in his party. He believed it grand |
party, and that in il was wrapped up the des- |
tiny of this country.
s'When the election took place he accepted the |
7ice- presidency. He had unlimited confidence |
hat the Democrats would succeed, and he told |
ne every time he came home during that |
Governor Hendricks was a very |
,anguine man. and he could not tolerate doubt |
,rs. He always squirting up the party, and |
remem Der a remark that he made during the |
asst campaign to a man here who told him that |
he ticket would fail, and kept saying Mr.. |
Hendricks at last grew angry and said
.t'Well, sir il you feel that going to fail |
lont say SOL It is only earnest effort that brings
uccess. and in this case know success will fol- |
ow. But doubt paralyzes effort If you have |
loubts don't utter them and take away the |
strength of those who wish to work in faith Mr.. |
Hendricks had great faith in himself and he al |
ways honored his work"
''How did he like the vice presidencyR"
He certainly made the vice presidency a
more honorable position than it ever had been. f
lie brought dignity and prominence to 1t, and he /
vas more than a figurehead in it, Had he lived, |
lis term as vice president would have been a
lotabe one in our history"
Wherein. Mrs Hendricks" I asked. ''do |
'ou think that Governor Hendricks especially /
xceled?
s'That is hard question for to answer.
nd should give my thoughts you would say